On Campus: Core Private Sponsorship Services

The private sponsor group will greet the refugee student(s) at the airport and transport them to their housing.

The campus private sponsor group, through direct coordination with their institutional leadership, and/or through utilizing a variety of fundraising methods, will secure the financial support to cover all academic and living expenses for each sponsored refugee student during the initial sponsorship period of 12 months. Financial supports may include scholarships and tuition waivers, or other direct funding and in-kind supports to cover the cost of tuition, housing, and other academic and living expenses. Sponsor groups, in coordination with their leadership, must create a plan to ensure sponsored students will be able to support their academic and living expenses post-sponsorship.

The private sponsor group will ensure that the refugee student(s) have safe and sanitary housing that is accessible by public transportation for the duration of the initial sponsorship period of 12 consecutive months. The housing should be at no cost to the refugee student for the duration of the sponsorship period. Depending on the hosting institution, housing can be on or off campus. To the extent possible, the refugee student(s) should be able to remain in the same housing arrangement over the summer months and other school breaks. Sponsor groups must ensure that refugee students have access to affordable or free housing at the end of the sponsorship period.

The private sponsor group will ensure the refugee student(s) have basic necessities during the 12-month sponsorship period, including but not limited to meal plans, food allowances, personal hygiene products, furniture and household goods such as bedding and towels, seasonally appropriate clothing, a laptop and required books for studies, a phone, and pocket money. Groups will also secure all items listed on the Welcome Corps on Campus Refugee Student Needs List.

The private sponsor group will ensure the refugee student(s) have access to the academic supports necessary to orient them to the American classroom and campus life in the United States. This includes connections to academic advising, tutoring and/or mentoring programs, supporting students in enrolling in classes, computer literacy and academic writing programs, access to ESL classes, career services, etc.

The private sponsor group will provide or ensure provision of a basic introduction to the refugee students’ host campus, their new home community, and life in the United States. This will include a review of topics such as the U.S. higher education system, personal safety, avoiding scams, rights and responsibilities, laws, navigating public transportation, banking, financial literacy, grocery shopping, available campus resources and how to access them, and understanding American culture both inside and outside the classroom.

The private sponsor group will support each refugee student in securing essential documentation. Essential documentation includes a social security card, employment authorization document, and state ID for each refugee student. For refugee students who wish to obtain a driver’s license, the group will support them in securing a driver’s license as their state ID. The group will also support the refugee student(s) in filing a change of address form as required during the sponsorship period, support males ages 18 – 25 to register for selective service, and ensure sponsored students have information on how to apply for permanent residency 12 months after their arrival.

While sponsored full-time students will generally not qualify for some mainstream benefits such as cash assistance, full-time refugee students may be eligible for Medicaid in expanded Medicaid states and Refugee Medical Assistance (RMA) if they don’t qualify for Medicaid. Guidelines on access to benefits such as Medicaid, RMA, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance vary by state, and private sponsor groups will support students in understanding and accessing available services for which they may be eligible, including organizations and services that support long-term integration such as case management and employment services.

The private sponsor group, in coordination with institutional leadership, will ensure sponsored students are enrolled in premium- free health coverage for a minimum of the 12-months sponsorship period and, to the extent possible, support sponsored students in identifying affordable options for health coverage after the initial sponsorship period. The private sponsor group will connect the refugee student(s) to necessary health and desired mental health services both on and off campus and support refugee students in completing their refugee health screening requirements.

As necessary, the private sponsor group will support the sponsored student(s) in language acquisition, especially as it relates to spoken and written academic English. Such support should include connecting each refugee students to on-campus ESL, academic writing, and academic communication classes. For campuses with no ESL programs, sponsor groups should explore off-campus opportunities such as conversation circles at libraries, tutoring through local literacy council and/or informal language learning through language tandems.

The private sponsor group will ensure the sponsored student(s) understand their right to an interpreter, if and where needed, e.g., when communicating with the refugee student(s) regarding critical issues such as those surrounding health and safety.

Guided by refugee students’ needs and expressed desires, the private sponsor group will facilitate cultural and social connections for sponsored students to promote a sense of belonging and community. Such cultural connections may include access to student clubs, campus events, culturally appropriate foods, houses of worship, other culturally or ethnically appropriate community-led organizations and/or compatriots.

If desired by the refugee student(s), the private sponsor group will support students(s) in securing part-time employment or internship opportunities on or off campus. This support may include assistance with resume development, securing on-campus employment, researching internship opportunities, etc. Sponsored students should also be referred to campus career services for pre-and post-graduation support. Note, sponsored refugee students are not expected to work during the initial sponsorship period, and it is recommended that students enroll in full-time studies for at least the duration of the initial sponsorship period.

The private sponsor group will guide the refugee student(s) in accessing available transportation on their campus and in their community, identifying how the refugee student(s) might travel (e.g., bus, metro, rideshare, taxi, walk) to and from school, possible employment, healthcare, faith community, shopping, and grocery store.

The private sponsor group and the refugee student(s) will discuss the conclusion of sponsorship supports and plans for how each student will be able to support their academic and living expenses post sponsorship within the first 90 days of sponsorship and on an ongoing basis throughout the sponsorship period. This will likely require ongoing institutional support to cover tuition expenses and support in applying for federal financial aid. Private sponsor groups are required to submit a post-sponsorship budget plan that outlines how each sponsored student will be able to cover their ongoing academic and living expenses for the duration of their studies.

As part of ensuring accurate information and data is available for program improvement and oversight, private sponsor group members agree to filling out a baseline survey after certification of their group and to

• complete 30- and 90-day reports via an established online submission process;
• complete 6-month and 12-month sponsorship experience surveys;
• support the process for refugee(s) to complete surveys within 30 days of arrival and at 6 months and 12 months post arrival; and
• communicate critical incidents or issues impacting the delivery of core services and/or refugee student(s) safety and wellbeing according to program procedures.